Paint brush

ABSTRACT

A paint brush for painting trim having a handle and bristles extending outwardly from one end of the handle. The bristles are arranged in two sections which differ in length by slightly less than the thickness of the trim.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/954,637 filed Aug. 8, 2007, which is incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to paint brushes for painting a surface and, particularly, to such a brush for painting a paint trim.

II. Description of Related Art

Many homes include paint trim around the windows and doors as well as along the floor in their homes and other buildings. This paint trim is typically of made of wood and is painted with the color desired by the owner or occupant of the home. Whenever the paint trim is the same color as the wall adjacent to the paint trim, both the wall and the paint trim may be easily painted by even nonprofessional painters. However, when the paint trim is a different color from the wall on which the paint trim is mounted, it is important to maintain a sharp, even line along the paint trim to demark the boundary between the paint trim and the wall.

Although professional painters are able to easily paint the trim around doors, windows and along the floors a color different from the wall and maintain an even and straight line and without painting a portion of the wall adjacent the trim, nonprofessional painters are simply unable to achieve this. Rather, whenever nonprofessional painters paint the paint trim around the doors, windows or along the floor, the paint line on the trim between the trim and the wall is typically uneven and jagged.

In even worse cases, a portion of the wall adjacent the paint trim is painted the same color as the paint trim. Altogether, this results in a jagged paint line between the door or window trim which is unattractive and unacceptable in appearance.

Some nonprofessional painters attempt to mask the wall with masking tape while painting the paint trim. Ideally, any overpainting of the trim would simply paint the masking tape which is removed after the trim is painted. However, in actual practice, paint oftentimes seeps up behind or underneath the masking tape and thus against the wall. This also results in a ragged and unacceptable paint line between the trim and the wall.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

The present invention provides a paint brush which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the previously known methods utilized by nonprofessional painters to paint paint trim.

In brief the present invention comprises an elongated handle which is dimensioned to be hand held. The handle itself may be constructed of any suitable material, such as wood, plastic or other synthetic material.

A plurality of bristles are attached to and extend longitudinally outwardly from one end of the handle. Typically, a ferrule is used to attach the handle and bristles together.

These bristles are arranged in a first and second side-by-side section. The bristles in the first section extend longitudinally outwardly from the end of the handle by a first distance while the bristles in the second section extend longitudinally outwardly from the end of the handle by a second distance different from the first distance. Furthermore, the difference between the outer tips of the bristles in the first section and the outer tips of the bristles in the second section corresponds to slightly less than the width of the outer edge of the paint trim.

In practice, the paint bristles are dipped in paint in the standard fashion. The second or shorter bristles are then positioned along the outer surface of the paint trim facing outwardly from the wall. In doing so, the bristles in the longer section extend along the side of the paint trim, but are short of the wall. Thereafter, as the paint brush is moved along the paint trim, paint is transferred from the paint brush and to the paint trim.

Since the outer tips of the first or longer section of bristles are spaced outwardly from the wall, no paint is applied to the wall during the painting operation. However, the bristles in the first section do contact the outer surface of the paint trim that is substantially perpendicular to the wall and apply paint to the outer surface in the desired fashion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

A better understanding of the present invention will be had upon reference to the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view illustrating a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view illustrating the operation of the paint brush of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred embodiment of the paint brush 10 of the present invention is shown. The paint brush 10 includes an elongated handle 12 which is dimensioned to be manually hand held. The handle 12 may be constructed of wood, plastic or other material and is rigid in construction.

The handle 12 also includes a first end 14 and a second end 16. As best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of paint bristles 18 are secured to and extend longitudinally outwardly from the first end 14 of the handle 12. Any conventional means, such as a ferrule 20, may be utilized to secure the paint bristles 18 to the handle 12.

Still referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the paint bristles 18 are arranged in two side-by-side sections 22 and 24. The bristles in the first section 22 all have substantially the same length while the bristles in the second section 24 are all of substantially the same length. However, the length of the bristles 22 is different from the bristles 24 so that the section 22 of bristles 18 protrudes outwardly from the second section 24 of bristles 18 by a distance X.

With reference now to FIG. 3, the distance that the bristles in the first section 22 protrude longitudinally outwardly from the bristles in the second section 24 is slightly less than the width Y of the outer edge 36 of a paint trim 30 so that the distance X is just slightly less than the distance Y. Consequently, when the outer tips 40 of the bristles in the second section 24 are positioned on an outer surface 42 of the wood trim facing away from a wall 44, the outer tips 46 of the bristles in the first section 22 are spaced slightly away from the wall 44.

In operation, the outer tips 40 and 46 of the bristle sections 24 and 22, respectively, are immersed in paint so that the paint is absorbed within the bristles 18. The outer tips 40 of the bristles in the second section 24 are then positioned on the surface 42 of the paint trim 30. In doing so, the bristles in the first section 22 contact the outer surface 36 of the wood trim 40 normal to the wall 44, but are spaced slightly from the wall 44. Consequently, as the brush 10 is moved along the trim 30, the spacing between the bristle tips 40 and 46 ensures an even and straight paint line along the wood trim and ensures that paint does not contact the wall 44 itself. From the foregoing, it can be seen that the present invention provides a simple and yet unique paint brush specifically designed for painting paint trim of the type used around windows, doors and along floors.

Having described my invention, however, many modifications thereto will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which it pertains without deviation from the spirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the appended claims. 

1. A paint brush comprising: an elongated handle, a plurality of bristles attached to and extending longitudinally outwardly from one end of the handle, said bristles being arranged in a first and second side-by-side section, wherein the bristles in said first section extend longitudinally outwardly from said one end of said handle by a first distance and the bristles in said second section extend longitudinally outwardly from said one end of said handle by a second distance, said first and second distances being different from each other.
 2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein a ferrule secures said bristles to said handle.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said first and second distances differ from each other by a distance slightly less than the thickness of a paint trim. 